Fallen Angel
by Kijin
Summary: After a Vicious fight with a regenerated Saffron, Ranma is transported to Gaea. Oh, and are those wings?


  
  
  
  
  
  
A Ranma 0.5/Vision of Escaflowne fanfiction  
  
  
Dark Angel  
  
  
By Kijin  
  
  
*Disclaimer*  
  
I don't own any of the Characters featured here.  
'Nuff said.  
  
  
  
====*====*====  
  
  
Chapter 1  
  
  
  
They were wrong. So very wrong.  
  
After the destruction of Jusendo, most of the Nerima   
wrecking crew thought they had seen the end of Saffron. The   
blast that had destroyed a mountain was sure to have slain the   
Phoenix God. They grew too confident in their own skills and   
power, that his allies fell to the one thing able to humble   
the greatest of warriors: Pride.  
  
Ranma knew differently, though.  
  
The young man saw the incredible hate Saffron had   
directed at him, just before he struck the fatal blow, in the   
god's burning eyes. He knew, just like with Ryoga, that the   
hate would fuel him to pursue his hated foe to the ends of the   
Earth.  
  
So he trained. Hard. A few months after the failed   
wedding, His entire being was directed to a drive to shatter   
all mortal barriers, and transcend the normal limitations of   
the physical world. He lost touch on the outside world, his   
family and friends left in the wayside of his attention.   
They drifted away from him, even his rivals. How could one   
stay focused on a person who didn't even notice you were   
alive?   
  
Through it all, only one remained at his side, faithfully  
tending the injuries he received, easing the pain of his wounds.  
At times when the world would cast its disapproval on the  
pig-tailed boy, she would always offer the comfort of her words  
and companionship. She patiently stood beside him until the   
very end of the day, that she may provide a sort of haven, for   
a poor young man who only sought to protect everything he cared   
about, at the cost of his soul.  
  
At first he was hesitant of her attentions. Once bitten,  
twice shy. Then he began to notice the little things, stuff   
that would hardly of great import to others, but to him, it   
was a glaring proof of the complete sincerity of her intentions.  
She sought love, and he had to admit, so did he.  
  
So one fateful night, after a hard day of training, She  
sat down beside him on his usual spot above the roof. Ranma  
seemed apprehensive at her presence, but shrugged it off as  
the cold bite of the evening air.  
  
"Ranma-kun..."  
  
"Its a nice night, isn't it?"  
  
She paused, looking at where Ranma was gazing. She   
nodded her assent. "Yes, its very beautiful."  
  
Ranma continued to stare into the night sky. "Back when  
I was still in my training trip, I always used to look at the   
stars. Every time when it seemed like I was all alone, they would  
provide what little friendship I had, at least a semblance of   
it. As long as there was a star in the sky, I never felt alone."  
  
'You are not alone, Ranma.' She said to herself. She edged   
closer to his prone form.  
  
"Ranma, please listen to me."  
  
He grew puzzled. "I've always listened to you."  
  
She shook her head. "Yes, you did. But *listen* to what I  
have to tell you." She briefly fought the urge to run away. "To  
what we truly feel."  
  
A pause. "You know why I'm here."  
  
Ranma didn't look at her. She could, however, see him  
trembling.  
  
"Please Ranma," She pled, "Don't turn away from me. Don't  
keep me away. Please let me in."  
  
Try as he might, he could not stop the flow of tears.   
  
"It's so hard. It's just so damn hard. The first few times  
I cared, my efforts blew up in my face. Everything I touch, I  
destroy. I'm just so damn good at destruction that I've fogotten  
how to build. And a relationship is definitely one of those   
things." He curled up to himself. "I don't want to be hurt, or  
to hurt, anyone."  
  
She gathered him up her arms, feeling he was as light as   
a feather. He didn't protest the condescenscion at the moment.  
  
"Pain is a part of life, Ranma-kun. But pain leads to  
growth, and growth leads to impovement. There would be times   
when you'd be hurt, but the rewards are greater. So please,  
don't let go at the chance of being happy for the fear of  
pain. Please."  
  
His tears had stopped. His face now held a question within  
the azure irises of his eyes. His expression held a faint sense   
of hope, but hidden behind a the desire to stave off the   
possibilty of dissappointment.  
  
"Why?"  
  
She plunged through unknown territory, knowing that this   
would be her only chance.  
  
"Be..because..." She struggled to get the words out.   
"Because...I love you...Ranma. And I hope that someday, you'll   
be able to love me in return..."  
  
At the sound of those words, his heart began to soar of in   
heights previously unknown. Something bright and fierce burned   
inside his chest as he finally revealed what he had tried to   
hide for half a year. Finally, he would say what he truly felt.  
  
"I love you too...Kasumi-chan."  
  
  
====*====*====  
  
  
  
Saffron smiled. The plan he envisioned nearly two years   
ago was finally put to action. Through the careful manipulation   
of events by the use of his underlings, all of the Nerima   
wrecking crew except Ranma had gathered at the Tendo residence   
for one reason or another. That was when Saffron struck.  
  
When Ranma arrived, The Tendo residence was in smoking   
ruins. He found nearly everyone injured and singed. The result   
of one of Saffron's attacks. Thankfully, there were no   
casualties. Ranma scanned around the room for a face he grown   
to love dearly. But it was the one visage he failed to find.  
  
"Where is she?!" He cried in question.  
  
Everyone knew who the pig-tailed boy was talking about.   
Genma drew a shuddering breath and forced himself to look at  
Ranma's burning eyes.  
  
"Son...Saffron left this...he says to meet him at the top   
of Tokyo tower. He says...if you don't come in an a day, he'll  
send you...Kasumi's head in a box."  
  
With a trembling hand, Ranma opened the letter. It was   
short, but straight to the point.  
  
'I have you Woman. Fight me to death, or she dies.'  
  
Ranma's eyes blazed in righteous fury. "Saffron!" He   
blasted a hole on the wall and proceeded to leave the premises  
to save the eldest Tendo sister.  
  
"Ranma! Halt!"  
  
Stunned, the aformentioned martial artist did so. He  
looked at the voice's source, and found his mother holding a  
pair of wrapped bundles at her hands.  
  
She began to explain her outburst. "Ranma. Take your time  
and listen to me for a while. What I have to say is very   
important."  
  
"I can't wait, Okaasan!" He said impatiently. "Kasumi's  
in trouble! I have to..."  
  
She held up a hand. "I know. But need to give you   
something." She unwrapped the bundles, revealing the Saotome  
Family Blade, and a strange, crimson pendant. She explained the  
purposes of each.  
  
"This, as you know, is the Family's Honor Blade. This has  
proven its worth in countless of duels since the inception of   
our clan. Use it well."  
  
Ranma took the sword impatiently, and nodded. He'd need  
all the help he could get.  
  
"And this necklace, is a legacy from our bloodline. This  
might reveal the truth about yourself sometime in the near   
future. Wear it for all time."  
  
She stared fondly at her son of eighteen years. She hadn't  
planned on giving any of the items until he had been married,  
but the circumstance limited her options. She just hoped she  
wasn't too late to reveal his...  
  
She shook her head. "Go, my son. Do what you must, and   
bring honor to our Clan!"  
  
Ranma needed no other prompting than that. His ki flaring,  
he all but flew towards the towers location, traveling at   
speed that put most racing cars to shame.  
  
'Wait for me Kasumi. I will save you. No matter how high  
the cost...'  
  
  
====*====*====  
  
  
Kasumi shifted a bit, and tested her bonds. The strange,  
Silk-like threads which held her bound seemed surprisingly   
strong. She idly wondered what the material was.   
  
They were on the vey top of the Tokyo tower, the winged  
woman having carried her in her clawed hands. There were only   
two of them, as far as she knew. But the power the winged man  
held was frightenly immense, enough to defeat Nerima's premiere  
Martial-Artists, including the Amazon matriarch Cologne and   
the old pervert, Happosai.  
  
She turned her head to observe her captors. Saffron was  
sitting on an overhanging perch, and Kiima stood beside her.  
Their faces held utter seriousness, fully prepared for their  
grim revenge. She narrowed her eyes determinedly. She would  
have her answers, one way or the other.  
  
"Why are you doing this?"  
  
The phoenix god turned to stare at the bound woman   
sitting beside a metal truss, his glare hot enough to burn a   
hole through her. For that moment, Kasumi felt pure,   
unadulterated fear. Saffron exuded an enormous fiery aura,  
one that hid centuries of power and wisdom, and she knew that  
before her, stood a god.  
  
She shook herself from her reverie, and noticed that  
Saffron had not answered her. She asked him again.  
  
"Why have you held me against my will? You hurt my   
Family, and destroyed my home. What did we ever do to you?"  
  
"You? Nothing. That goes the same for the others. They   
were simply in my way, so I bowled them aside. Saotome, on   
the other hand..."  
  
She protested. "But you were the one who kidnapped Akane!  
Ranma had no choice but to go after her. He didn't mean to   
destroy your home..."  
  
"Destroy my home?! You think that I did all of this for  
that?" He thundered. Kiima glanced uneasily at them.  
  
"Tell me, Landling. What did they say happened during   
their romp at my mountain." Saffron edged closer to the bound   
girl. "Tell me what they said happened when I fought Saotome."  
  
"You fought Ranma inside the mountain. They said you   
tried to kill him and my sister. But Ranma was able to defeat  
you and save Akane."  
  
Saffron laughed. Not just a normal laugh, but a deep,  
sinister, belly laugh. Kasumi heard a heavy tone of sarcasm behind  
it.  
  
"They do know how to hide things, do they?" He remarked.  
  
"Huh? What do you mean?" Kasumi was puzzled.  
  
"They forgot to tell YOU a lot of things. Like how   
Saotome stole the Gekkaja from me. How they laid waste to my   
stronghold. How Saotome halted my regeneration into a fully grown   
adult. How Saotome destroyed Phoenix mountain in our battle."  
  
Saffron grew even grimmer, clearly about to reveal something   
he so desperately despised. "And how 'Ranma' slew me."  
  
Kasumi gasped. Never in her life would he have thought   
that Ranma was capable of such a deed.  
  
"No...Ranma would never..."  
  
"Yes, girl. Your man did that. To me."  
  
"Then why...are you still here? You should be..."  
  
"Dead?" Kiima interrupted her. "Lord Saffron is the King  
of Phoenix Mountain, Girl. He is a god. Mere mortals cannot  
kill an immortal like my Master."  
  
"Then why all this? Why not let it go? You tried to kill  
my sister, so Ranma had no choice but to do...what he did, so   
Akane could live. Its a good enough reason to..."  
  
"Insolent Girl! That Saotome has DARED to even lay a hand   
on my person is crime enough! The other's lives are forfeit for   
their theft and disobedience. He did more things in one day than  
an entire Kingdom has done against me in a century. " He seethed  
in remembrance of imaginary insults. "This affront cannot go   
unpunished."   
  
The aura Saffron flared was awe-inspiring. Kasumi had to  
cover her face with her bound hands, lest she be burned by the  
heat. It was at this display that She wondered how her beloved  
could have defeated the irate god.  
  
Kasumi saw everything clearly, now. Saffron was angry at  
the fact that a mere boy had bested him in a battle of skill   
and power. His pride as King and God of the phoenix was sorely  
wounded by Ranma. So he decided revenge and Ranma's death would   
be the best way to strike back at his enemy, and regain the   
loss of face. She sobbed internally. Why did people, even   
immortals, put such importance on such trivialities? Their   
pride would force them to do things that common sense defined   
as foolish and silly. They would do everything to sooth   
imaginary slights and long forgotten promises. This was the   
very thing that turned friends into enemies, and made life   
in general miserable. Ranma was proof of that.  
  
Suddenly, Saffron's eyes snapped open, and gazed into a   
northeasterly direction. He smiled cruelly at the sight that  
greeted him.  
  
"He comes." He intoned almost formally, to Kasumi's  
surprise. "The battle will soon be joined. This time, only one  
of us will walk, or fly, away alive..."  
  
  
====*====*====  
  
  
Ranma gazed from below Tokyo's tallest landmark, extending   
all of his senses. There. Kasumi's familiar presence. Another  
vaguely familiar aura. And of course, Saffron's incredibly   
powerful Ki that seemed to permeate every pore of the Tower.  
This fact, however, would not let him stray from his objectives.  
The foremost: to save Kasumi and carry her to safety. Then he   
can take all the time in the world to undo the mistake he made   
in Jusendo, the cursed grounds.  
  
'And what was that Mistake?' An inner voice seemed to   
ask coldly in response to his thoughts.  
  
Ice-blue eyes narrowed in cold resolution. The ground  
around began to freeze, all moisture on the pavement gaining  
solidity and loss of temperature.  
  
"It was a mistake to leave Saffron alive. I'm plannin'  
to rectify that mistake, With interest."  
  
In a single bound, Ranma's coiled legs propelled him more  
than a hundred feet in the air, leaving the ground faster than  
an arrow. He began his ascent to the Tower's peak, mentally  
preparing for the inevitable confrontation.  
  
"Watch yourself, Saffron. This time I ain't pullin' my   
punches."  
  
  
  
====*====*====  
  
  
  
Tendo Residence  
  
The entire household, not to mention its uninvited guests,  
ran around like a chicken with its head cut off. Each individual  
screamed his/her own two cents and added to the general chaos.  
  
"Wahhh! My poor baby girl's been kidnapped! What are we   
going to do, Saotome?"  
  
"Never fear, Tendo. I'm sure Ranma's going to rescue her.  
After all, I was the one who trained him!"  
  
"That Baka! Now he brings more trouble with him! And  
he's even gotten Kasumi in trouble, too!"  
  
"Ranma! This is all your Fault!"  
  
"Oh Ranchan! Please be safe..."  
  
"Saotome! Is there no limit to the wickedness of your  
soul? Now you have sent one of your demons and enslaved yet   
another pure maiden!"  
  
"Aiyah! Airen now fight too too strong phoenix King!   
Shampoo hope nothing go wrong!  
  
"Saotome! How dare you hurt my Shampoo!"  
  
"Ranma-sama will be victorious! I shall stand by his side   
soon..."  
  
More or less, this pretty much described the situation.  
  
Only one person did not join in the drunken expositions of   
the gathered guests. Nodoka sat with her eyes closed, apparently   
in deep thought.  
  
Cologne sought an explanation from the Saotome Matriarch.  
It seemed like she held some skeletons in the family closet,   
and she meant to have her answers. Hissing as her movements made   
her injuries flare, she hopped towards the seated woman and   
asked her question.  
  
"Saotome-san? If I might have a moment with you..."  
  
"Of course, Elder. I assume you have questions regarding  
the purpose of the gifts I bequeathed to my Son, Ranma? And   
their significance?"  
  
At the sound of Nodoka's voice, the visitors and the   
household grew silent, wishing for her to shed some light on  
the matter.  
  
Cologne nodded. So Nodoka knew something. This might lead  
to Son-in-law's captur- *Ahem*- induction to the Amazon tribe.  
  
Nodoka started her Tale. This time, she had everyone's  
attention.  
  
"The gifts I have given to Ranma are the proofs and   
legacy of my Family line." She began. "Our clan has survived   
the fall of several Emperors, and the rise of several Dynasties.   
Through out Japan's history, we have played a role in history,   
but we never allowed ourselves to be brought to the public's   
attention. We had too much at stake to put recognition of the  
masses to our Clan. It would have meant our end."  
  
By now, everybody hung on to her every word, even Genma.  
He never knew this about his Wife's family.  
  
"The first of the gifts is the Family's Honor blade,   
Masamune." Shocked expressions grew in every face. " It has  
been in our family for generations, given by t he great   
Miyamoto Musashi for our assistance when he needed our help  
at one time."  
  
"The second of the gifts I had left to Ranma is the pendant   
of my great-grandmother. It has been passed down from generation  
to generation from Mother to Daughter, since our line never   
seemed to have male progeny. It is said that in the fullness of   
time, when the line has borne a male child, the truth of our  
origins would finally be revealed."  
  
They leaned forward unconsciously.  
  
"And the truth...is that Ranma and I, are not fully Human."  
  
Protests and convictions erupted.  
  
"Waahhhh! Now our houses will never be joined!"  
  
"Calm down, Tendo. Its not that Bad. After all, even if   
he's not human, he still looks like one!"  
  
"He's not human, alright. He's a Hentai!"  
  
"I knew it! Some one who could make my life a living hell  
couldn't be normal! Ranma, prepare to Die!"  
  
"Define Normal, Pig-boy! Ranchan's as human as far as I   
can tell!"  
  
"Sorcery most foul hath hidden the Demon Saotome's true  
visage from the eyes of the plebeians! I, the Blue thunder of  
Furinkan High, shall shatter the Evil glamour cast by the dark  
spells of Saotome! Then the fierce Tendo Akane and the Healthy  
Pig-tailed girl shall greet me with open...urk!"  
  
"How dare you mouth such slander upon my dear Ranma-sama,  
you mentally decrepit sibling! Ranma-sama cannot be Human, because  
he a God in Mortal form, come to bless me with the glory of his  
presence..."  
  
"Shaddup, Kodachi! This is no time for your flights of   
fancy! Finally, I have proof of Saotome's undesirability as  
Shampoo's Husband! Then my love and I can finally get married  
and...urk!"  
  
"You Shut up to, Stupid Mu-tzu! Hiba-chan still approve   
of Airen. He just too too strong and too too handsome..."  
  
As they returned to the standard 'Kill or love Ranma'  
argument, Cologne thought pensively at the revelations that  
Nodoka mentioned, and found something that piqued her interest.  
  
'If she and Ranma aren't Human, what are they?"  
  
While Cologne pondered this intriguing tidbit, Nodoka  
however, prayed for the safety of Kasumi and Ranma.  
  
'Oh my son. I hope what you find out will not be the   
instrument of your demise...'  
  
  
  
====*====*====  
  
  
  
"...Let her go, first."  
  
"Easily done. Kiima, take the girl back to her home. We  
do not need any distractions for our battle."  
  
The winged woman nodded, and took Kasumi to fly off a   
incredible speeds. Saffron smirked at their retreating forms.  
He waited until a few minutes until he spoke again.  
  
"You do know, of course, that her life and the lives of   
your friends and family are forfeit, should you lose."  
  
"This is our Fight, not theirs!" Ranma burst out. "They had  
nothing to do with this, why should you care about them?!"  
  
"That's just it. I don't care about them. Why should I, when  
I snuff their miserable lives from existence?"  
  
"After all this time, you haven't changed a bit."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"You're still an asshole!"  
  
Saffron narrowed his eyes. "Your woman's far away enough.  
Let us begin." And brought his aura to bear, flying several hundred   
yards away.  
  
"Yes. Let's"  
  
And so the battle was joined.  
  
  
  
====*====*====  
  
  
"This is as far as I can take you. If you wish to see   
another day, stay here and do not attempt to come to your mate's  
aid. The location of their fight is not the most hospitable of  
places." It was an hour later, yet Kiima had shown no signs of  
tiring.  
  
"And you?"  
  
Kiima shrugged her shoulders. "I will watch over my Lord  
and Master. The dangers do not matter to me." With that, the  
phoenix flew off towards the urban battlefield.  
  
"Kiima! Wait! You have..." Her words reached deaf ears.  
Worry began to gnaw at her. She knew Ranma was far stronger   
now. But Saffron, as he proclaimed earlier, was an immortal.  
This would give her beloved a serious disadvantage. She had to   
get some help.  
  
'But I can't travel fast enough back to the dojo!' There  
was really only one option feasible right now. She ran to the   
nearest payphone and called home, hoping help would come soon.  
  
  
  
====*====*====  
  
  
"KOUTEI KAEN YOKU!!(1)"  
  
Ranma leapt back to avoid the fiery wing's deadly flight   
path, cursing as a hail of wrecking-ball sized incendiaries  
exploded in its wake. The violent expansion of heat from the  
abrupt compression of heated concrete sent nearby buildings   
shuddering from the shockwave, leaving craters ten meters   
across.  
  
'This can't go on...'  
  
A massive amount of infrastructure disintegrated   
whenever Saffron passed, in his drive to see the pig-tailed   
boy's demise. Ki-blasts ripped off huge chunks off the ground   
and the surrounding buildings around the Phoenix god. The city   
was literally being torn apart by the two combatants.  
  
The Land of the Rising Sun had never seen a fight of   
such magnitude ever since its recognition as a Country. The   
event would probably be ingrained in the minds of every Japanese   
who bore mute witness to its pure destructive scale, like the   
bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The cause of the battle was   
even more astounding than the havoc it created. Only two beings  
were responsible for it. One was the Phoenix God, a deity from   
the mountainous regions of the Bayankala range. The other was  
Japan's very own representative, a young man barely even into  
adulthood, but with the repository of thousands of obscure  
martial disciplines, and well as the control of his own   
life-force. These facts alone would boggle the minds of many,  
as to what the true cause of their conflict is. Many of them   
would never know.  
  
Tears sprung forth from Ranma's eyes, as he beheld a   
broken form lying near some rubble. He knew from its stillness   
that the person would never wake up again. 'We should have   
never fought in a populated area! Why did the asshole bring   
our fight here?'   
  
Further thoughts were interrupted as another fiery   
hailstorm flew from Saffron's hands. He had no time to evade  
so many projectile, so he simply brought his ki to bear and   
received the assault full in the face. He crumpled on himself   
as the intense pain made him grit his teeth, trying to   
suppress a scream.  
  
"Hrrgh!" He was definitely going to feel that tomorrow-  
if he lived that long.  
  
Shaken, but in no way out of the fight, he stood up   
resiliently. He glared in hatred at the godling who dared to   
bring all that was his to harm.  
  
"Damn you, Saffron! You had no right to bring our fight  
in a city! Look how many have perished here! We could have   
fought somewhere else. Don't you even care?"  
  
"They are only pathetic humans, boy. Not worth my time or   
attention. Why should I care? A Deity like me has no need to   
concern myself with such trivial matters. They can rot in hell,  
as far as I'm concerned !" Saffron proclaimed arrogantly.  
  
Ranma shook with silent rage. All this for a matter of   
pride? It came to him in a flash of insight that Saffron's  
immortality had given him a jaded view of humanity in general.  
Humans had only one purpose, and that was to serve the Gods   
that he claimed he was one of. His arrogance was one of the   
things he hated the most. 'This cannot go unpunished.'  
  
Unknown to him, the pendant his mother had given to him,  
nestled beneath his shirt, began to glow faintly.  
  
"Damn you. Damn you, bird boy..."  
  
His Ki flared in response to his rage, making the loose   
rubble around him float several feet in the air. A loud rumbling   
was heard as the earth shook and trembled.  
  
Saffron was amused. "So the mortal deems to show his   
fangs. But I wonder. Would it be sharp enough to rend phoenix   
flesh?"  
  
Ranma stared coldly at his hovering opponent. "All those  
people..."  
  
"Are trash." He declared.  
  
"The city destroyed..."  
  
"As it should have for a long time!"  
  
"So much innocent blood shed..."  
  
"Your own shall be next!" Saffron screamed, holding his  
hands before him. "Houou-kin Ouzoku Kyuukyoku Ougi!(2)" And released   
his attack.  
  
"Die, Saotome! TENKA SHUNMETSU KOUKYUUDAN! (3)"  
  
The enormous, 70 foot wide fireball flew in an unerring   
path towards Ranma. Nothing seemed to able to survive in its  
blast radius.   
  
Slowly, Ranma's head rose, as if to stare at the skies.  
His eyes had turned entirely into twin pools of blue flames.  
He incline his head back to gaze at the incoming fireball.  
  
"Not yet, Saffron. I cannot die just yet."  
  
Then everything became white.  
  
  
  
====*====*====  
  
  
  
"...Please hurry! I don't think Ranma can hold much longer!  
He needs help! Hurry!"  
  
She slammed the phone into the receiver, frustrated at her   
inability to provide more assistance for her lover.  
  
"...I repeat, We interrupt this program for some important  
announcement..." Blared a TV from a nearby store. This got   
Kasumi's attention.  
  
"...According to our News Crew, Tokyo has been transformed   
into a blazing inferno from a series of explosions within the   
city proper. Experts still have no Idea as to the cause of the  
the explosions. The death toll is estimated at loss of more than   
1500 lives since the first reports nearly an hour ago. The JSDF   
has been dispatched in the hopes of..."  
  
Kasumi fell to her knees, horror etched into her visage.  
So many dead...  
  
"Kami-sama." Tears fell from pale cheeks. "Please. If  
you really do exist, keep my Ranma safe..."  
  
As if to answer her prayers, A brilliant column of bright   
light erupted in the horizon. Roughly in the direction of Ranma's  
location. Hope flared anew in Kasumi's heart.  
  
Maybe this was the sign that her prayers were answered...  
  
  
  
====*====*====  
  
  
  
Saffron blinked back the tears from his eyes, uncovering   
his hands in front of his eyes. Slowly, he opened his eyesight  
as his vision cleared.   
  
He found himself hovering above a thick forest, a sea of   
green filling his eyes. He could not believe what he saw. How in   
the Seven Seals did he get here! He scanned the canopy for any   
signs of his hated foe.  
  
"Come out and face me, landling!" He shouted. "Where are   
you, Saotome?!"  
  
"Right here."  
  
Startled, Saffron fell motionless for a few seconds. The   
voice came from above him, behind! He spun, and looked for the   
Martial-artist.  
  
And stared. Saotome was above him! He was hovering above   
as if to claim mastery of the winds itself! But that was not  
what had him bewildered and surprised. Rather, it was Ranma.  
Or, more to the point, what covered him.  
  
Wings! He had wings! Whereas his own were own were light  
and patterned with flecks of dark near the end, Saotome's  
were a deep, blood-red shade. Each wing covered him like a cape,  
motionless. Yet still he managed to remain in the sky.  
  
Ranma's gray-blue stared back at his own, as if   
measuring him up in some obscure way. Then he smiled, like  
he found what he discovered in his opponent, lacking.  
  
Gracefully, Ranma opened his feathered appendages, with  
Saffron transfixed at the sight. It made the young man look   
like a divinity, the perfect representation of Godhood. Each   
wing measured about twice his height, unfolded behind him. So   
engrossed was he at the sight that he almost didn't notice  
that Ranma had spoken.  
  
"Perfect. All alone, just the two of us. No one around   
to interfere. No one around to save you. I'm going to make an   
example out of you no one will ever forget."   
  
For once in his life, The Phoenix god felt pure,   
unadulterated fear. It was to be the very last thing he would   
ever know.  
  
  
====*====*====  
  
  
Most of Earth's legends about the Firebird state that   
the Phoenix is undying. Every time its passes its allotted   
time, it would burn itself in its own flames, and be reborn   
again. This cycle was supposed to be repeated throughout all   
of eternity. The fiery deity had shuffled itself off the   
mortal coil.  
  
Before the day ended, one more myth passed towards the  
realms of fallacies and relative obscurity. Because somehow,  
Saotome Ranma had stopped the Phoenix from ever rising again.  
  
  
====*====*====  
  
  
"What was that?!" Exclaimed a startled carriage driver,   
sharing the same thoughts as the dozens of armed escorts beside  
him.  
  
He saw a series of bright explosions of azure light   
flaring up on the horizon. It was followed by shockwaves that  
shook the gravel path they were on. From the fireworks, the   
driver could surmise only one thing.  
  
"A battle..." He muttered.  
  
"Geoffrey, what has happened?" Inquired an elegant tone  
from inside the coach.  
  
"N-nothing, My Lady! Its probably just a trick of the  
light, that's all."  
  
A mass of curly, blond hair emerged from the window of   
the carriage. Malerna looked at the driver with steely eyes.  
Her eyes demanded that he tell her the whole truth, or face   
the consequences.  
  
Beads of sweat rolled from behind his neck. She could  
really be intimidating when she wanted to be. He sighed, and   
a few guards snickered at his predicament. He had no choice   
on the matter.  
  
"Princess...I saw light flashing in the direction of the   
Hagan Woods, but its gone now. I believe that it could have   
been...a battle." He sweated, knowing what followed.  
  
"A battle?" She exclaimed, frowning slightly. Abruptly,  
she commanded the driver.  
  
"Quickly, ride in the direction of the Woods! If there   
are anyone injured, They will need our assistance!"  
  
The Guard Captain quickly interjected. "Princess Malerna!  
If what Geoffrey said was true, then we must stay away, as far   
as possible! For your own safety, my lady."  
  
Her blue eyes flashed. "I am a healer, Captain. I swore  
that I would always help those who need my skills. What kind  
of person would I be if I left someone dying along the road?"  
  
'A live one.' Thought Geoffrey.  
  
"Besides," She winked mischievously, "You'd be there to  
protect me, won't you?"  
  
The Guard Captain reddened. He sighed inwardly. 'The   
King will have my head for this.' He gave his orders to the   
escort. "Alright, everyone, form a phalanx in front of the   
carriage! Squads 4 and 5, follow behind to guard the flanks.  
Move it!"  
  
"I hope nobody's alive when we get there..."  
  
  
====*====*====  
  
  
  
(1) Koutei Kaen Yoku : Emperor's Blazing Wings.  
  
(2) Houou-kin Ouzoku Kyuukyoku Ougi : Phoenix Mountain Royalty   
Ultimate Special Secret.  
  
(3) Tenka Shunmetsu Koukyuudan : Entire Empire Instant   
Annihilation Emperor Ball Missile  
  
  
Notes:  
  
  
Darkchun suggested this story when I asked him about   
more Ideas. And I must admit, a winged Ranma is something   
that grabs a readers attention (Think 'Just Won't Die').   
I'm glad I'm able to write again. I got kind of stuck on the   
Ranma/Dual! crossover (You noticed that it doesn't have a   
title yet. any suggestions?). Expect the second chapter  
soon, though it probably won't have much (I can't get in   
the ftp to download the Escaflowne episodes! Somebody   
help!). Also the third installment of the Dual! crossover.  
  
Anyone interested in being a pre-Reader? I really need   
some help with this work (My Escaflowne knowledge is limited),  
and a few others.  
  
I'm also amenable to fan art requests. I've already   
submitted my artworks to the 'Just Won't Die', 'Pegasus   
Cycle', and 'Shadow of Ranma' homepages. Sketch ideas are in sore  
demand.  
  
Send all C&C to carlopim@yahoo.com . Flames will be used to   
fuel the Steam locomotive I keep in my backyard.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



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